The present invention relates to utility knives and, more particularly, to utility knives having a fixed blade and a guard for the blade edge.
Utility knives are widely employed by homeowners and craftsmen alike for many applications in which it is necessary to cut or score workpieces, as well as for other simple cutting and shaping applications.
Most utility knives have a blade which is moved from a position within the housing or handle to a position extending outwardly therefrom, and that position may be adjustable. Exemplary of such utility knives are those shown in Rollband et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,795 granted Jan. 6, 1981 and Weimann U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,256 granted May 6, 1986. Utility knives with fixed blades and movable covers or guards are also known as, for example, those shown in Peyrot U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,612, and one is Warnes U.S. Pat. No. 2,867,901 granted Jan. 14, 1958.
A problem frequently encountered with respect to such utility knives is the safe and facile changing of the blades which rapidly dull or break. Frequently, the mechanism employed to hold the blade securely requires substantial manipulation in order to remove the blade from the carrier or holder and this can present a potential hazard to those utilizing the knife.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel utility knife with a fixed blade and a retractable guard for the blade edge.
It is also an object to provide such a utility knife in which the blade may be easily released from the blade holding mechanism by simple manipulation and a new blade readily inserted.
Another object is to provide such a utility knife which is simple to fabricate and assemble and which will provide reasonably long life.
A further object is to provide such a utility knife which is attractive in appearance, easy to use and comfortable to grip.